I Cooked My Way Through WELL FED!
As part of my 43-Day Challenge, I decided to cook my way through Well Fed, a fabulous, Whole30-approved cookbook by Melissa Joulwan. Have we enjoyed it? Well, maybe the photos and commentary below will answer that question…
(I have also labeled my top 10 FAVORITES along the way.)
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Salmon a L’Afrique du Nord - favorite!
Cumin-Roasted Carrots
Turkish Chopped Salad
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Good grief, this was good! Just looking at the picture makes my mouth water!
First on the list, Salmon a l’Afrique du Nord (Well Fed, p. 103). Wow. That’s basically all I have to say. To be honest, I’ve never cooked salmon on my own before, so this was really a challenge! And to top it off, the recipe has you cook the entire 2-pound filet in one piece… yikes! So when I went to Whole Foods to pick up a few things, I stopped by the fish counter and spotted a beautiful piece of wild-caught Alaskan salmon. The clerk was even able to tell me exactly where in Alaska it was caught (Anchorage), and who the fishermen were… very cool! This was not a cheap piece of fish, so I was a little nervous about botching the recipe!
I followed Melissa’s instructions to the letter (except for the fact that we don’t have a grill… I used my oven broiler instead), and the fish came out beautifully. I’ll tell you how it tasted in a moment.
Next up, we had Cumin-Roasted Carrots (Well Fed, p. 115). Wow again. Who knew that carrots could taste so freakin’ good? The spices blended perfectly with the salmon, and the carrots were juicy and succulent with the tiniest little crunch deep inside. Amazing.
Finally, we added Turkish Chopped Salad (Well Fed, p. 141). This blend of chopped, raw veggies is perfectly spiced, full of flavor, and so good for you! And I loved the excuse to use raw radishes… YUM.
All in all, this was seriously the most gourmet-tasting meal I have ever cooked. My husband and I were saying “wow…” with almost every bite. And the best part? None of it was difficult! The most time-consuming part was probably chopping all the veggies for the salad… but turn on a good podcast, and you’re good to go.
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Meatza Pie
Greek Broccoli
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First off, Meatza Pie (Well Fed, p. 77). Now, this is what I call a pizza crust… MEAT! This recipe does not look complex, but the flavors are insane. I started off by making Melissa’s blend of Italian Sausage Seasoning (Well Fed, p. 49), and then pressing it into the beef before forming a crust in the bottom of a baking dish. Once that is cooked, you make up the simple sauce recipe, which includes Pizza Seasoning (Well Fed, p. 49), and just toss on whatever veggies you have available. I have ALOT of yellow squash right now, so I used that, some broccoli, some onions, and some bell peppers. This dish was easy, spicy, and delicious!
As a side dish, we had Greek Broccoli (Well Fed, p. 117). What a cool recipe! I would never thing to toss broccoli with tomato paste and a bunch of fabulous spices, but it totally works! We really enjoyed this dinner.
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Grilled Chicken Thighs
Steam-Sauteed Veggies
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Our dinner of Grilled Chicken Thighs (Well Fed, p. 29) over Steam-Sauteed Veggies (Well Fed, p. 33) was delicious. As I mentioned above, we do not have a grill, so I followed Melissa’s “No Grill?” instructions… very handy! Why in the world have we not been eating more chicken thighs?? They are DELICIOUS! I don’t know why, but we usually spring for boneless, skinless breasts… and now I know that those are far less flavorful! I picked up some organic thighs from Costco, and boy, they were tender and juicy!
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Creamy Italian Dressing - favorite!
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Several times this month, we made a big salad with Creamy Italian Dressing (Well Fed, p. 59). Most amazing salad dressing I have ever had. Period.
My salad consisted of mixed greens, baby spinach, raspberries, blueberries, oranges, avocado chunks, slivered almonds, and cucumbers. So, so, so good. The dressing was so amazing that we actually “sopped it up” on our chicken thighs and scarfed it down.
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Ras el Hanout
Creamy Spice Market Kale
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We didn’t get enough chicken thighs the first night (seriously, we both wanted them again!), so I baked this again, but with a different spice mixture: Ras el Hanout (Well Fed, p. 47). What an amazing spice blend! It contains cumin, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg. Can you smell it already? I can! It is amazing. I sprinkled the seasoning over the chicken before baking, and it gave it a beautiful flavor.
As a base, I also made Creamy Spice Market Kale (Well Fed, p. 111). Have you ever had moist, juicy kale? I hadn’t before tonight… the coconut milk in the recipe truly does make it creamy and wonderful. But be prepared – it is definitely spicy! We loved every bite.
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Shepherd’s Pie
Mashed Cauliflower
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Shepherd’s Pie (Well Fed, p. 97) was homey and yummy… Mashed cauliflower (Well Fed, p. 113) topped it, and that is a favorite of mine!
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Waldorf Tuna Salad
Olive Oil Mayo
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Check out this beautiful Waldorf Tuna Salad (Well Fed, p. 67). I have recently fallen in love with tuna, so this was awesome! The crunchy, tangy apples make the recipe a perfect flavor blend. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with Olive Oil Mayo (Well Fed, p. 43).
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Caramelized Coconut Chips - favorite!
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Caramelized Coconut Chips (Well Fed, p. 153) are now a FAVORITE snack of ours. I cannot believe how much these crispy little goodies taste like popcorn! I made this and took it to a recent movie outing, and it was so much fun to crunch along with all the popcorn-eaters around us.
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Berries and Whipped Coconut Cream
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Berries and Whipped Coconut Cream (Well Fed, p. 149) was so good! Fresh, wholesome, and full of delicious summer flavors.
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Cocoa-Toasted Cauliflower
Ranch Dressing
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In case you’re wondering, the amazing-looking steak in this picture is a recipe from It Starts With Food… “Mocha Steak Rub.” The Cocoa-Toasted Cauliflower (Well Fed, p. 127) was pretty good. Not a favorite, but pretty good! And the Ranch Dressing (Well Fed, p. 59) was delicious!
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Pad Thai - favorite!
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Sunshine Sauce
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The Pad Thai (Well Fed, p. 63) recipe has been one of my favorite meals of all time. It is creamy and delicious… the closest thing I’ve had to real, slurpy pasta since before I started eating Paleo-style. I love the method for preparing Roasted Speghetti Squash (Well Fed, p. 123) for this recipe. And the glue that held it all together was Melissa’s incredible Sunshine Sauce (Well Fed, p. 45). This is just too easy and delicious to be real.
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Czech Meatballs
Roni’s Creamy Cucumbers
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I have to be honest and tell you that we were not big fans of Czech Meatballs (Well Fed, p. 89). I think we just really don’t like caraway seeds. However, Roni’s Creamy Cucumbers (Well Fed, p. 135) was absolutely phenomenal. I have actually made this recipe several more times since we first tried it. Wonderful flavors!
Also pictures, Yellow Squash Latkes from The Food Lovers!
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The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat - favorite!
Moroccan Dipping Sauce
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This recipe doesn’t lie. Melissa wasn’t joking when she named this The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat (Well Fed, p. 69). In fact, I must apologize for the quality of the picture… it’s terrible because the chicken smelled SO good that I just snapped one and said “forget it… I gotta eat this now!” There is quite a process to make this recipe, but every step is well worth it. I have never tasted a more tender, juicy chicken breast. Wow.
To top it, I made Moroccan Dipping Sauce (Well Fed, p. 55). This is a perfect pairing, and my husband loved it as much as I did. So fun!
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Bora Bora Fireballs
Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
Coconut-Almond Green Beans
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This photo is pretty awful, and does not do justice to the deliciousness of this meal! We had this on the 4th of July, because I thought Bora Bora Fireballs (Well Fed, p. 99) sounded festive and fun! Boy, were they! These meatballs were spicy, juicy, and good. I will definitely be making them again.
As for the Coconut-Almond Green Beans (Well Fed, p. 125), well, there are no words… This is our new FAVORITE way to consume green beans. The sauce is both sweet and spicy, and it pairs perfectly with the crunch of the almonds.
The Cauliflower Rice Pilaf (Well Fed, p. 121) was good, at least to me. My husband did not like it at all… but he’s never been a big fan of cauli-rice, anyway.
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Best Stir-Fry Sauce Ever
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This recipe almost needs a separate post of its own. It’s just chicken breasts, but it’s sautéed in Best Stir-Fry Sauce Ever (Well Fed, p. 51), which truly is the BEST stir-fry sauce EVER! I love anything with Chinese 5-spice powder, so I was excited to try this! It also contains orange juice and coconut aminos, which proved to be a seriously winning combo.
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Blue Ribbon Country Captain Chicken
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I was pretty surprised at how easy Blue Ribbon Country Captain Chicken (Well Fed, p. 107) was to make. It’s one of those “throw it in the oven and let it take care of itself” types of recipes. There are a few additional steps, but overall, it’s very simply. The flavors are awesome. I’ll be making this one again, for sure…
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Citrus Carnitas
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Wow. That’s all I have to say about this. Just… wow. We served Citrus Carnitas (Well Fed, p. 95) over roasted spaghetti squash, with a side of fresh cherokee purple tomatoes. The recipe is unbelievably tangy and juicy. I loved the flavors of lemon and lime on pork, and my husband now loves it too!
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Scotch Eggs
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Scotch Eggs (Well Fed, p. 83) have become a favorite little breakfast package for us. I actually took a shortcut and used some local spicy pork sausage to wrap the hard-boiled eggs, and they were SO good.
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Cinnamon Beef Stew with Orange Gremolata
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This was a crazy recipe. Cinnamon Beef Stew with Orange Gremolata (Well Fed, p. 65) is packed with amazing, complex flavors. I can’t say that it was a favorite, but we did enjoy this very different dish! We served with sautéed kale.
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Basil and Walnut Pesto - favorite!
Jicama “Potato” Salad
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The Basil and Walnut Pesto recipe (Well Fed, p. 53) knocked our socks off. I served it over grass-fed filet mignon, and we felt like we were in food-heaven. I absolutely LOVE basil, and Melissa’s recipe does not have you missing parmesan cheese (a typical pesto ingredient) at all! So, so, so good…
Alongside, I served Jicama “Potato” Salad (Well Fed, p. 137). It was pretty crazy to discover how much jicama resembles potatoes after it’s been softened in the crock pot for 24 hours. I will be making this again for picnics and cookouts, that’s for sure!
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Sri Lankan Curry Sauce
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I served Sri Lankan Curry Sauce (Well Fed, p. 57) over some cubed steak, and it was really good! There are a lot of vegetables packed into this recipe, not to mention the good coconut fat from the milk! This meal was warm, hearty, and filling.
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Machacado & Eggs with Avocado Relish - favorite!
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This was a fantastic lazy-day breakfast for us. It was easy to make, but it tastes gourmet. Machacado & Eggs with Acovado Relish (Well Fed, p. 79) is definitely on our “favorite breakfasts” list. With a side of bacon, breakfast just can’t be much more delicious.
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Ginger-Lime Grilled Shrimp
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Ginger-Lime Grilled Shrimp (Well Fed, p. 75) is one of those recipes I probably would not have made had I not challenged myself to cook through a recipe book. Shrimp is a lot of work… I spent a lot of time cleaning and deveining, and it smelled… shrimpy. However, the outcome was outstanding, and my husband LOVED it! We don’t have a grill, but the recipe worked wonderfully under the oven broiler.
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Egg Foo Yong
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This picture makes me want to run to the kitchen right now to make Egg Foo Yong (Well Fed, p. 87). What a delicious Asian-flavored meal! Served with “Spicy Secret Sauce,” it is really incredible. I did not have pancake rings, but these turned out just fine poured into the pan like regular pancakes.
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Baba Ghanoush
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As beautiful as this photo is, I have to admit that we did not love Baba Ghanoush (Well Fed, p. 139). I think it’s just because we’re not huge eggplant fans. We’ve never had a recipe for Baba Ghanoush that we’ve liked.
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Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork) - #1 favorite!
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This recipe stands out as my FAVORITE one in the book. Char Siu (Well Fed, p. 91) is sweet, tangy, tender, and delectable. I have never tasted pork like this. It may even be better than bacon (say what??). We silently enjoyed every bite… and I think I actually took a few too many bites. It was very difficult to stop eating this.
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BBQ Pork Fried Rice
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I made this just before a little weekend getaway to bring with us. It re-warmed beautifully, and tasted like authentic Chinese food. We LOVE BBQ Pork Fried Rice (Well Fed, p. 93), and I will be making it again very soon.
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Sesame-Garlic Nori Chips
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I’ve been looking for ways to eat more seaweed lately (seriously…), so I was excited to give Sesame-Garlic Nori Chips (Well Fed, p. 129) a try. I thought they might be similar to SeaSnax (the pre-packed version you can find at Whole Foods, etc.), but they were WAY better. Melissa actually has you double up on the nori, so they feel more like a crunchy chip (rather than tasting like sea-flavored tissue paper). I really enjoyed these.
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Maki Rolls
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As you can see from this not-so-great picture, I do not have a sushi mat, and my rolling skills are not great. However, Maki Rolls (Well Fed, p. 81) were a fun project, and I liked them! My husband was not a fan. Sadness…
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Italian Sausage and Eggplant Strata
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This was GOOD. Italian Sausage and Eggplant Strata (Well Fed, p. 101) was a really cool version of lasagna. And the eggs mixed with the tomatoes gave it a very (dare I say it??) CHEESY flavor and texture. Really… it tasted like it had cheese in it! Even though we’re not huge eggplant fans, we did enjoy this a lot. In fact, this photo was taken after I made it last night, and we’re having leftovers tonight! Yay!
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NOT PICTURED:
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Garlic-Browned Ground Meat (Well Fed, p. 31) – I will never “just brown the meat” again. Cooking grass-fed been with moisture from coconut oil and onions, with added flavors from black pepper and garlic powder, take this simple component to a whole other level.
Moroccan Meatballs (Well Fed, p. 71) - favorite! - I am so sad that I did not take a picture of this meal! We actually made it twice… the first time one of my best friends and I cooked it together, and enjoyed it together, and it was so fun! The flavors go so well with ground lamb… I already can’t wait to make it again.
Chocolate Chili (Well Fed, p. 73) – I blogged about this recipe once before… check it out here.
Rogan Josh (Well Fed, p. 85) – We didn’t have lamb meat that could be cubed, so I used ground lamb instead. While my husband loved it, the flavors were a little too rich for me. I could only take a few bites, and I was done. this would be good served with a neutral flavor, as Melissa suggests, like mashed cauliflower, cauli-rice, roasted spaghetti squash, etc. Unfortunately, I had none of that on hand, so we just ate it plain (like stew).
Meat and Spinach Meatballs (Well Fed, p. 105) – I really enjoyed this recipe. It was easy to make, and very tasty and filling! A great breakfast option…
Velvety Butternut Squash (Well Fed, p. 119) – I actually tried Melissa’s suggest variation for this one, and used sweet potatoes instead. It was SO good! I do plan to try it again with the real ingredient… butternut squash!
Jicama Home Fries (Well Fed, p. 131) – This recipe is best if you soak the jicama for the entire 24 hours (the recipe suggests 12-24 hours). I whipped it up after only 12 hours, and it was still really crunchy… not the way I envision home fries. I’m looking forward to trying this again.
Zucchini Noodles Aglio et Olio (Well Fed, p. 133) – favorite! - This is another one where I really wish I had a picture. We served these amazing noodles with the Moroccan Meatballs, and they have to be another FAVORITE recipe from this cookbook. I could eat them every day. They have an incredible spicy creaminess that taste restaurant-calibur.
El Minzah Orange Salad (Well Fed, p. 143) – Unfortunately, I cannot eat oranges, so I did not have the pleasure of tasting this recipe. However, I did make it for my husband and my parents, and they really enjoyed it!
Fried Apples with Bacon and Pecans (Well Fed, p. 147) – I mean… what else needs to be said? There is no picture because this bowl of insanity was gobbled down in 2 minutes flat. Yum.
Peach Almond Crisp (Well Fed, p. 151) – Because it is so dessert-like, this recipe is not Whole30-approved. However, I look forward to enjoying it very soon!
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I am so grateful to Melissa Joulwan for this fantastic culinary masterpiece. It made our month VERY delicious, broke me out of my little cooking rut, and gave me an amazing list of items that I cannot wait to make and share again.
Mission accomplished.
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Are you wondering why my PIZZA post displays a flash of lightning? Well, here’s why… Last night I uploaded all of my pizza pictures just before we had a good ol’ North Carolina thunderstorm. It didn’t sound too bad outside… just rain and a little thunder… so we did not rush around to unplug things. Unfortunately, my Macbook Pro was plugged into a regular wall outlet, and was the recipient of a power surge. After a full morning at the Apple Store, I learned that the logic-board is fried, and a repair would cost almost as much as ordering a brand new system (which is what we chose).
